The present invention relates in general to an apparatus for connecting component holding tapes each holding a plurality of electronic circuit components, and more particularly to such an apparatus for connecting the component holding tapes through a metallic connecting member.
There is already known an apparatus for connecting component holding tapes by using a metallic connecting member, for example, as described in Patent Document 1. The metallic connecting member used in the component-holding-tape connecting apparatus described in the Patent Document 1 has a plurality of caulking claws. The component-holding-tape connecting apparatus is equipped with a positioning device for positioning the connecting member and trailing and leading end portions of respective two component holding tapes, and a caulking device for caulking the caulking claws. The trailing and leading end portions are connected to each other, by caulking the caulking claws that are caused to pierce through the trailing and leading end portions while positioning the trailing and leading end portions relative to the connecting member.    Patent Document 1: JP-H11-40984A
The present invention was made in view of the background as described above, and has an object to improve a component-holding-tape connecting apparatus for connecting trailing and leading end portions of respective two component holding tapes through a metallic connecting member having a plurality of caulking claws.